The term “service apparatuses” means the set of apparatuses present in a room designed to provide a service to the user of the room. In detail, the service apparatuses comprise the lighting system of the room, the heating/cooling system of the room, the movement of the window blind systems (for example, shutters), etc. . . . In other words, the control system is used to control the lights, the heating, etc. . . . of a room. Preferably, this invention is used for controlling the service apparatuses of a hotel room.
Advantageously, the interactive control device comprises a touchscreen which allows a user who enters a room to control, as required, the service apparatuses (for example, adjust the room temperature, switch ON the lights, etc. . . . ).
According to the prior art, the control device comprises a control unit connected to at least one service apparatus and a screen operatively connected to the control unit. As already mentioned, the screen comprises touch selection means for interacting with a user. In this way, the user can control the service apparatuses as required, using the screen.
Some examples of control devices are described in the prior documents US 2007/236360, US 2009/207122, US 2006/250745, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,396,443, 6,107,930. It should be noted that the touch selection means are defined by a capacitive layer of the screen and by a control unit operatively connected to the capacitive layer for translating the selection made on the capacitive layer into information relative to the position of the point selected by touch.
However, to save energy, the screen is configurable in the prior art between an active condition wherein it transmits the information collected from the touch selection to the control unit and an inactive condition wherein it interrupts the transmission of the information collected from the touch selection to the control unit. More specifically, according to the prior art, during the active condition the capacitive layer and the relative control unit are powered, whilst during the inactive condition the capacitive layer and the relative control unit are not powered. In this way, the capacitive layer and the relative control unit of the screen are only powered during the active configuration of the screen thus allowing an energy saving.
In this regard, the prior art device comprises means for enabling the screen operatively associated with the screen and which can be activated by a user for configuring the screen between the active configuration and the inactive configuration. This solution allows an energy saving as the capacitive layer and the relative control unit are only powered following activation of the screen by the user.
Normally, the enabling means comprise at least one mechanical key in such a way that, by pressing the key, the screen changes from the inactive configuration to the active configuration.
Practically, according to the prior art, the user must press the mechanical key to activate the screen and, then, interact with the control unit using the touchscreen system.
This prior art, however, is not free of drawbacks.
A first drawback is linked to the fact that, according to the prior art, the screen must be activated by a mechanical action. Consequently, the user must identify the touchscreen and activate it by pressing the mechanical key.
For this reason, to control the service apparatuses (switch ON the lights, activate the heating, etc. . . . ) it is necessary, as a first operation, to press the mechanical key.
A second drawback is linked to the fact that, having entered the room, the user is not always able to identify the screen at first sight. In effect, normally, the screen has the appearance of a dark colored panel which is difficult to identify.
Moreover, it should be noted that not all the rooms have this technology, but could have systems for controlling the lighting and the heating of the traditional type (push-button switches and thermostats). For this reason, when entering the room the user might not expect to find an interactive control device with a touchscreen. Consequently, having entered a hotel room, the user must place the luggage on the floor and search for the control device to press the key in such a way as to activate at least the lights.